Device for holding and stretching card-clothing while being attached to carding



(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. 0. KITGHING. DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND STRETOHING CARD CLOTHING WHILEBEING ATTACHED TO GARDING CYLINDERS.

Patented Feb. 28,1893.

FIGJ.

No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. O. KITOHING. DEVIGE FOR HOLDING AND STRETUHING GARD CLOTHING WHILEBEING ATTACHED TO CARDING CYLINDERS.

No. 492,404. Patented Feb. 28, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT Trice.

HENRY C. KITCHING, OF LIOKING, MISSOURI.

DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND STRETCHING CARD-CLOTHING WHILE BEING ATTACHED TOCARDING- CYLINDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 492,404, dated February28, 1893.

Application filed November '7, 1892. $erial No. 451,215. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. KITOHING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Licking, in the county of Texas and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Device for Holding and StretchingCard-Clothing while being Attached to Carding-Oylinders, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to attachments for carding-machines formanipulating wool and cotton; and the objects in view are to provide astretching device for evenly, rapidly, and effectually stretching thesheet-cards upon the main cylinder, thereby obviating the use of theusual hand-device or stretcher for this purpose.

With these as the main objects of my invention, the invention consistsin certain features of construction hereinafter specified andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawingsz-Figure 1 represents a portion of a cardingcylinder provided with my attachment, the same being in the act ofstretching a sheet-card thereon. Fig. 2 is a detail in perspective ofthe attachment. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is atransversesectional View looking toward the pawl and ratchet mechanism.Fig. 5 is a detail in transverse section of the winding pulley and itssupporting shaft. Fig. 6 is a detail in section of theclamping-stretcher.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

1 designates the main cylinder of a carding machine for carding wool orcotton, and the same is provided upon its periphery with the usual cards2, which as is well-known, consist of a series of sheets having teethextending from their exteriors, with the exception of their edges whichare tacked to the surface of the cylinder. The cylinder, as is usual, ishollow being supported upon its axle or shaft by suitable spokesradiating from the hub.

In constructing the attachment I provide a pair of oppositeclamping-standards 3, which standards have their inner faces providedwith pairs of upper short lugs 4, and pairs of longer lugs 5, the latterlugs being radially opposite the former lugs. The lowerlugs 5, areprovided with perforations or threaded openings 6, and in these areinserted bindingscrews 7, which project upwardly through the lugs. Thelugs 4 and 5, which are arranged in radially opposite pairs, are such adistance apart as to readily take over the edges of the cylinder, andthrough the medium of the binding-screws 7 may be secured at any pointalong said edges; and in this manner, as will be obvious, the standardsmay be adjusted for the purpose hereinafter made apparent. Each of thestandards above the lugs 4 is provided with a bearing-opening 8, and thesame has journaled therein the opposite ends of a transverse shaft 9,which by the standards is supported over the periphery or surface of thecylinder. Collars 10, are secured to the outer ends of the shaft, andprevent disengagement therewith of the standards. The shaft is providedwith a longitudinal groove 11, of proper depth and extending throughoutthe length thereof, or at any rate, throughout the distance between thebearings.

12 designates a flanged pulley splined to loosely slide upon the shaft,and the same has its periphery between its flanges provided with anundercut lug 13, to which is connected removably a metal eye or link 14,the same being attached to a fiat, flexible, and preferably leather,strap 15 16 designates a pair of plier-members or levers, which aremutually recessed in the usual manner, as indicated at 17, and arepivoted at 18. Beyond their pivot the said plier-members are providedwith downwardly-curved clamping-jaws 19, the lower jaw at its extremityhaving a lip 20, which takes under the lower edge of the upper jaw. Eachof these members at its rear or inner end is provided with an eye 21,and to the end of the eye or cross-bar of the upper member the aforesaidstrap 15 is secured, the same being passed downward through the eye ofthe lower member, and then as before described, removably attached byits metallink to the undercut stud 13.

The shaft 9 has secured thereto adjacent to one of the standards 3, aratchet-Wheel 22, and located at one side thereof is a lever 23, whichis loosely mounted upon the shaft and provided at one side with a pawl24, pivoted in a bracket 25, extending from the outer side of the lever,said pawl at its lower end being designed to rotate in or engaged withthe teeth of the ratchet-wheel 22 when the lever is swung in onedirection, and to loosely ride thereover when swung in the oppositedirection. A stop-lug 26, projects from the inner face of the standardadjacent to which said lever is located and serves to limit the movementof the lever in a downward direction. At the opposite side of the shaftto which the stop-lug is located, there projects from the inner face ofthe aforesaid standards 3 a bracket 27, and pivoted in said bracketintermediate its ends is a curved pawl 28, the lower or tooth-end ofwhich is designed to engage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel whensaid wheel moves in one direction and to glide over said teeth when thewheel moves in an opposite direction,while the upper end of said pawl isweighted at one side of the fulcrum-point,

whereby its lower end is always maintained in engagement with the teethof said ratchetwheel. This completes the construction of the attachment,whose operation though apparent,I will proceed to describe.

One edge of the card having been adapted to the surface of the cylinder,the attachment is secured in the manner heretofore described to thecylinder a short distance beyond the free or untacked edge, after whichthe pulley 12 of the attachment is moved to one end of its shaft and thepliers or clamp opened and closed upon the free edge of the card. Thepulley is splined upon the shaft so that when the shaft is operated orrotated by successive vibrations of the lever 23, the pulley revolvesand winds the flexible strap thereupon. The draft upon the strap servesto snuglybind the members of the clamp or pliers together, so that afirmbite upon the card is taken by the jaws. In this manner it will be seenthat the card may be stretched effectually and as soon as a sufficientstretching has been accomplished, that portion of the card th usstretched and in line with the clamping jaws of the pliers is securelytacked to the cylinder. The pulley is now slid the distance of the jawsand a new hold is taken, said pulleys and shaft having been revolved orretrograded so as to permit of the re-engagement or clamping of thepliers upon the card. This retrogression of the pulley and shaft isreadily accomplished by a disengagement of the two pawls, the holdingpawl being weighted at its upper end and therefore assuming a positionat either side of its pivot. In this manner the entire width of the cardis operated upon so that finally the card is secured tightly stretchedupon the cylinder. WVhen the last card is being placed in position itwill be seen that the attachment will be over the first card, and it isdesirable that no part of the same should touch the teeth of said firstcard, and therefore inasmuch as the pliers if straight would touch theteeth, I construct the pliers with curved jaws so that though the freeedge of the last card applied is brought down close to the cylinder yetthe levers or members of the pliers are located some distance above thecylinder. In this mannerthe last card applied may be stretched as snuglyand tightly as its companions and yet the teeth of the first card willnot be interfered with.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be seen that I have provided a cheap and simpleattachment for the cylinders of carding-machines, whereby the cards maybe successively and securely stretched thereupon, and whereby I avoidthe use of the usual hand-device for this purpose, reducing the work orlabor to a minimum and at the same time affording means for securing thelast card of the series as securely and well stretched upon the machineas anyof its companions.

It is to be understood that changes in the form, proportion and theminor details of construction may be resorted to without de parting fromthe principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a card-stretchingattachment for cylinders of carding-machines, the combination withopposite standards provided with clamping-devices for embracing andclamping the inner and outer surfaces of the cylinder and provided neartheir outer ends with bearings, of a shaft journaled in the bearings,apulley splined to slide upon the shaft, and rotate therewith means forrotating said shaft, a card-clamping device, and a flexible connectionbetween the pulley and clamping-device, substantially as specified.

2. In a card-stretching attachment for cylinders of carding-machines,the combination with opposite cylinder-olamping-standards, theshaftjournaled loosely therein, and means for rotating the shaft, of apulley splined upon the shaft, a card-clamping device, a flexible strapsecured to the clampingdevice, a lug on the periphery of the pulley, andan eye on the strap for removably engaging the lug, substantially asspecified.

3. In a card-stretching attachment for cylinders of carding-machines,the combination with the opposite standards and means for securing themto the opposite edges of the cylinder, the shaft terminating therein,means for rotating the shaft, and the pulley splined thereon, of theflexible strap connected to the pulley and the pliers connected to thestrap and terminating at its outer ends in a pair of card-clamping jawswhich are downwardly curved the lower jaw being provided with a lip 20extending under the clamping edge of the upper jaw, substantially asspecified.

4. In a card-stretching attachment for cylinders of carding-machines,the' combination with the standards having the upperand lower lugs, thelatter provided with threaded openings having clamping screws and abovethe same provided with bearing-openings, the shaft journaled in theopenings and provided with a longitudinal groove, and the pulley wheeland above its pivot curved to one side of its fulcrum or pivot-point,substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as I5 my own I have heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY C. KITCHING. Witnesses:

W. G. PAINE, E. L. H0BsoN.

